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can i do a levels in a year inntwo different sixth forms?

I got my GCSEs this summer, all okay, now in my school's linked sixth form, I registered to do gvt and politics, physics(aqa) maths(edexcel) and biology, im only interested as a dount in the ones with a specified exam boardbut I'm going to apply as an external candidate for Birkenhead sixth form college to do AS further maths, A2 maths, physics and further maths(aqa), maths(aqa) physics (OCR), ¿is it okay doing the exams at 2 different sixth forms?¿will the grades (as and A2) be joined? And I'm not telling either sixth form I'm doing other exams at another one is there a problem with doing the A2 without as or is it OK telling them? thank you for your answer.a

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Why are you doing this?

So you would have in 1 year

gvt and politics - AS
Physics - A2
Maths - A2
Biology - AS
Further maths - A2

What were your GCSE results?
How will you understand A2 lessons when you have not done the AS?
I must repeat my previous question again, why are you doing this?
Also, why do you want 2 AS levels?
Reply 2
Original post by chemari
I got my GCSEs this summer, all okay, now in my school's linked sixth form, I registered to do gvt and politics, physics(aqa) maths(edexcel) and biology, im only interested as a dount in the ones with a specified exam boardbut I'm going to apply as an external candidate for Birkenhead sixth form college to do AS further maths, A2 maths, physics and further maths(aqa), maths(aqa) physics (OCR), ¿is it okay doing the exams at 2 different sixth forms?¿will the grades (as and A2) be joined? And I'm not telling either sixth form I'm doing other exams at another one is there a problem with doing the A2 without as or is it OK telling them? thank you for your answer.a


I think you should inform both sixth forms that you are doing a levels at another sixth form

This is going to be beyond a lot of work and stress for you so do really make sure you want to put yourself through it all and you even need to for uni etc
Reply 3
Original post by Yellow636
Why are you doing this?

So you would have in 1 year

gvt and politics - AS
Physics - A2
Maths - A2
Biology - AS
Further maths - A2

What were your GCSE results?
How will you understand A2 lessons when you have not done the AS?
I must repeat my previous question again, why are you doing this?
Also, why do you want 2 AS levels?

I agree I am 99% sure what he says isnt even possible and doesnt make sense
Original post by chem@uni
I agree I am 99% sure what he says isnt even possible and doesnt make sense


I can't even work out what subjects hes taking, let alone study for them all lol.

Also, how can you even start A2, if you have never studied the AS level of the course. He would need to ensure he knows all chapters @ AS that are expanded on at A2, before getting too that part in A2.
Reply 5
Original post by Yellow636
I can't even work out what subjects hes taking, let alone study for them all lol.

Also, how can you even start A2, if you have never studied the AS level of the course. He would need to ensure he knows all chapters @ AS that are expanded on at A2, before getting too that part in A2.


Yeah I dont think he can anyway because an A-Level is made up of 50% AS and 50% A2 so he cant just do the one if he wants an a level in it
Reply 6
Original post by chemari
I got my GCSEs this summer, all okay, now in my school's linked sixth form, I registered to do gvt and politics, physics(aqa) maths(edexcel) and biology, im only interested as a dount in the ones with a specified exam boardbut I'm going to apply as an external candidate for Birkenhead sixth form college to do AS further maths, A2 maths, physics and further maths(aqa), maths(aqa) physics (OCR), ¿is it okay doing the exams at 2 different sixth forms?¿will the grades (as and A2) be joined? And I'm not telling either sixth form I'm doing other exams at another one is there a problem with doing the A2 without as or is it OK telling them? thank you for your answer.a


It's quite hard to make sense of what you're actually saying but there is a whole world of problems in this. It's hard to know where to start pulling it apart. It would help if you gave a clearer list of exactly what you are intending to take where and with which exam board.

If you want to take extra exams then why not take them at your main sixth form?

Why are you swapping exam boards at different centres?

Have you taken into account that you'll be being taught the new spec AS Physics at one centre but will only be able to take the incompatible old spec A2 anywhere?

You can't do this without involving both exams officers - where it is possible to do AS with one board and A2 with another (and it sin't always) then you need the exams officers to make this work.

I could go on.
Reply 7
I think what the OP meant was:
at your school they're doing
Government and Politics
Physics (AQA)
Maths (Edexcel)
Biology

and externally they're doing
Physics (OCR)
Maths (AQA)
Further maths (AQA)

You can technically get entered for those exams, sure. But this is just utterly confusing, and it's in practice impossible to do what you suggested because
exams in the same subjects are usually scheduled for the same slot
(to help minimise conventional clashings), so you can't sit both AQA and Edexcel physics as you'd have to be two places at once.

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this - the results won't join or anything, and it'll just look like you retook lots of exams when you apply to university which will look terrible.

If you want to take Further maths and your school isn't offering it on timetable, I'd first talk to the head of department to see if they'll let you take it with your own private studying - this happens often for such schools.

If they won't let you do that, then you can externally enter for Edexcel Further Maths modules at the external college... as long as they have your candidate identification number (not the one you write on the papers, it's the much longer one that appears on your school exam entries & certificates) then you'll be able to get the Further Maths A-level from the external college (they have to know that you took A-level maths to certificate the Further maths), but for this it would need to get both exam officers involved, so they can sort this out.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by piguy
I think what the OP meant was:
at your school they're doing
Government and Politics
Physics (AQA)
Maths (Edexcel)
Biology

and externally they're doing
Physics (OCR)
Maths (AQA)
Further maths (AQA)

You can technically get entered for those exams, sure. But this is just utterly confusing, and it's in practice impossible to do what you suggested because
exams in the same subjects are usually scheduled for the same slot
(to help minimise conventional clashings), so you can't sit both AQA and Edexcel physics as you'd have to be two places at once.

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this - the results won't join or anything, and it'll just look like you retook lots of exams when you apply to university which will look terrible.

If you want to take Further maths and your school isn't offering it on timetable, I'd first talk to the head of department to see if they'll let you take it with your own private studying - this happens often for such schools.

If they won't let you do that, then you can externally enter for Edexcel Further Maths modules at the external college... as long as they have your candidate identification number (not the one you write on the papers, it's the much longer one that appears on your school exam entries & certificates) then you'll be able to get the Further Maths A-level from the external college (they have to know that you took A-level maths to certificate the Further maths), but for this it would need to get both exam officers involved, so they can sort this out.


Yes but the ones I'm doing at my college are only AS but the ones at Birkenhead are A2 except for further maths which I would be doing fully,
Is physics fine then?
Reply 9
Original post by chemari
Yes but the ones I'm doing at my college are only AS but the ones at Birkenhead are A2 except for further maths which I would be doing fully,
Is physics fine then?


Maths and Further Maths units are often in the same session which means you'd have to be escorted from one centre to the other between exams
As I said earlier, you have to get you main school to enter you for different exams to the ones they have taught you.
Do you know how you are going to take the AS and A2 Physics practical units?
If you're bright enough to manage this, why are you only taking 3 A levels at your main school?

While this all might, in theory, be just about possible, trust me, in practice, it really isn't. Why are you even thinking of it?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by chemari
Yes but the ones I'm doing at my college are only AS but the ones at Birkenhead are A2 except for further maths which I would be doing fully,
Is physics fine then?


Have you done the as ones in this subjects? that you will be doing at A2?
Reply 11
Original post by chem@uni
Have you done the as ones in this subjects? that you will be doing at A2?

no, I'm gonna start sixth form this year
Reply 12
Original post by Compost
Maths and Further Maths units are often in the same session which means you'd have to be escorted from one centre to the other between exams
As I said earlier, you have to get you main school to enter you for different exams to the ones they have taught you.
Do you know how you are going to take the AS and A2 Physics practical units?
If you're bright enough to manage this, why are you only taking 3 A levels at your main school?

While this all might, in theory, be just about possible, trust me, in practice, it really isn't. Why are you even thinking of it?


how could maths and further maths units be in the same session, if maths exams(modules) also form part of the further maths grade?, the as and a2 practicals for physics would be done as exams yes? or I think this would be submitted to the sixth form in which I'm trying to do these exams, I'm thinking of doing it cause if I save that year, I could dedicate that year to other things of higher values, so would there be a problem or not?
The AS exams in my college (A) would be maths (edexcel c1,c2,m1) and physics(aqa 3 first modules), excluding the non affected others, while in the other college which I would enter as an external candidate (B) the A2 exams would be maths (aqa c3, c4 and m2) further maths (aqa fp3, m4, m5) physics (ocr) and as well the AS for further maths (aqa fp1, fp 2, m3)
Original post by chemari
how could maths and further maths units be in the same session, if maths exams(modules) also form part of the further maths grade?

I don't understand your argument but just look at a timetable. For instance, next year Edexcel has C1 and M3 both on the morning of 18 May.
Original post by chemari
the as and a2 practicals for physics would be done as exams yes?
Not exactly. Look at the outgoing OCR spec and find out.
Original post by chemari
the as and a2 practicals for physics would be done as exams yes? or I think this would be submitted to the sixth form in which I'm trying to do these exams,
At your main school you will be studying the new specification Physics which doesn't have assessed practicals/coursework that form part of the A level grade. However, if you want to complete an A level in 1 year you will have to take exams on the old spec (in which case you might as well swap to OCR for all of it), which do have assessed practicals/coursework for both AS (Unit 3) and A2 (Unit 6). Taking these as a private candidate is both difficult to arrange and very expensive.
Original post by chemari
The AS exams in my college (A) would be maths (edexcel c1,c2,m1) and physics(aqa 3 first modules), excluding the non affected others, while in the other college which I would enter as an external candidate (B) the A2 exams would be maths (aqa c3, c4 and m2) further maths (aqa fp3, m4, m5) physics (ocr) and as well the AS for further maths (aqa fp1, fp 2, m3)

Ignoring Physics as your current choice will not give you an A level in Physics at the end of it, I will look at the Maths. I do not understand why, if you are entering as a private candidate, you are swapping exam boards. If you persist in this plan then you will need to get one of the exams officers to apply for a transfer of credit ( http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/entries/gce-entry-information-incltransfer-of-credit/gce-as-transfer-of-credit-arrangements-2015-2016 ) BEFORE 21 October. You also need to check to see if any of your planned exams will clash and find a solution to that (e.g. swap units).
Original post by chemari
how could maths and further maths units be in the same session, if maths exams(modules) also form part of the further maths grade?, the as and a2 practicals for physics would be done as exams yes? or I think this would be submitted to the sixth form in which I'm trying to do these exams, I'm thinking of doing it cause if I save that year, I could dedicate that year to other things of higher values, so would there be a problem or not?
The AS exams in my college (A) would be maths (edexcel c1,c2,m1) and physics(aqa 3 first modules), excluding the non affected others, while in the other college which I would enter as an external candidate (B) the A2 exams would be maths (aqa c3, c4 and m2) further maths (aqa fp3, m4, m5) physics (ocr) and as well the AS for further maths (aqa fp1, fp 2, m3)


No he was saying maths on different exams board is at the same time
Original post by chemari
no, I'm gonna start sixth form this year


You cant start on A2 you need to do AS
Reply 16
Original post by Compost
I don't understand your argument but just look at a timetable. For instance, next year Edexcel has C1 and M3 both on the morning of 18 May.
Not exactly. Look at the outgoing OCR spec and find out.
At your main school you will be studying the new specification Physics which doesn't have assessed practicals/coursework that form part of the A level grade. However, if you want to complete an A level in 1 year you will have to take exams on the old spec (in which case you might as well swap to OCR for all of it), which do have assessed practicals/coursework for both AS (Unit 3) and A2 (Unit 6). Taking these as a private candidate is both difficult to arrange and very expensive.

Ignoring Physics as your current choice will not give you an A level in Physics at the end of it, I will look at the Maths. I do not understand why, if you are entering as a private candidate, you are swapping exam boards. If you persist in this plan then you will need to get one of the exams officers to apply for a transfer of credit ( http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/entries/gce-entry-information-incltransfer-of-credit/gce-as-transfer-of-credit-arrangements-2015-2016 ) BEFORE 21 October. You also need to check to see if any of your planned exams will clash and find a solution to that (e.g. swap units).


wouldn't the AS of physics i would get form an A level with the A2 of OCR?
Original post by chemari
wouldn't the AS of physics i would get form an A level with the A2 of OCR?


No as specifications are on the point of changing and the new one (which will be taught at AS this coming year) is not compatible with the old one (being taught at A2 this year). There is one last chance to re-sit the outgoing AS exams next summer and if you want to do a whole Physics A level in a year you would have to do those as the new A2 exams are not available in 2016.

This is pretty basic stuff - if you haven't done the research to know this then your chances of sorting the rest of it out are virtually zero.
Reply 18
Original post by Compost
No as specifications are on the point of changing and the new one (which will be taught at AS this coming year) is not compatible with the old one (being taught at A2 this year). There is one last chance to re-sit the outgoing AS exams next summer and if you want to do a whole Physics A level in a year you would have to do those as the new A2 exams are not available in 2016.

This is pretty basic stuff - if you haven't done the research to know this then your chances of sorting the rest of it out are virtually zero.


If I'm doing it for the first time it wouldn't count as a resit would it?
Original post by chemari
If I'm doing it for the first time it wouldn't count as a resit would it?


No it wouldn't. What I meant to imply was that the outgoing AS course is not being taught next year but that the exams are available primarily for people who are re-sitting but also for anyone doing the whole A level in a year.

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